


what's the storm without a little bit of lightning?

by t_hens



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, M/M, Road Trip, au where Phil can actually drive, interactive introverts, mentions of depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-14 04:02:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15380220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_hens/pseuds/t_hens
Summary: on a rare day off between shows, Phil convinces Dan to join him on a spontaneous road trip.





	what's the storm without a little bit of lightning?

**Author's Note:**

> this was pretty heavily influenced by ['Runaway'](https://open.spotify.com/track/6mXMILvElYiWu4fa9oaJXe) by Tayla Parx and Khalid, which makes me want to cry nearly every time I hear it.
> 
> beta by the lovely [fourthingsandawizard](https://fourthingsandawizard.tumblr.com/)

“This is stupid, Phil.”

“No, it’s not! It’s romantic and spontaneous!”

Dan glanced up at the rental car sign and then back at Phil where they were stood in the parking lot, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

“Okay, _this part_ isn’t romantic and spontaneous. Like, the actual trip is. Just have a little faith, Dan.” 

Phil tugged on Dan’s arm, forcing him to follow him into the building, which he did begrudgingly. It was nice inside, though, air conditioned and away from the blazing Arizona afternoon sun. Dan sulked over to one of the plushy arm chairs and threw himself down, letting Phil take the lead on getting them a car since this was his idea, after all. 

He had been perfectly content on the tour bus, scrolling on his laptop and letting a movie play in the background, when Phil had shot up from the couch and told him to pack a bag because they were taking a road trip. Dan had whined and protested as much as he could, and yet here they were, renting a car so they could take a ‘proper American road trip.’ People often pegged Dan as the more stubborn of the two of them, but when Phil got his heels into an idea, that was the end of it. Dan had spent many a day so far on this tour doing stupid touristy things he had no interest in, simply because Phil had wanted to and there was absolutely no convincing him otherwise.

About 20 minutes after they arrived, Phil dragged Dan back outside into the heat to get ‘their’ car, a sleek, black sporty-looking thing that Dan didn’t hate, but would never admit. They put their bags in the back and got in the car, spending at least five minutes just letting Phil get accustomed to being in a car again, especially one that was backwards from what he was used to. 

“I forgot how bad you are at driving. We’re gonna die, aren’t we?” Dan lamented, putting his head in his hands dramatically.

Phil poked his shoulder and ruffled his hair.

“I’m not _that_ bad. Most of my stories are just exaggerated.”

Thankfully this seemed to be true, and they got out of the parking lot and onto the road without incident. 

“So, where are we going?” Dan asked.

Instead of answering, Phil shook his head and mimed locking his mouth with a pretend key. Dan rolled his eyes, but felt his lips twitch upward in a smile. 

“You’re really sticking to this secret thing eh?” 

Phil nodded again, so Dan sighed dramatically and focused on learning how to connect his phone to the bluetooth system so he could play music.

They stopped at a gas station before the freeway to get snacks - “You can’t go on a road trip without snacks, Dan” - and returned to the car, each toting a bag bulging with American junk food.

“Are you hyped now?” Phil asked, his cheeks pink from the sun, but maybe from excitement, too.

“Only ‘cause they had sweet chili Doritos,” he said, stuffing a few into his mouth.

Phil shook his head but smiled, starting the car back up. He fiddled with the GPS, not letting Dan see the screen, still adamant that he needed to keep their destination a secret. Phil eased their way back onto the road, and soon they were speeding towards their destination.

Dan had tried to chose Kanye as their road trip soundtrack, but Phil had given him a side-eyed glance, not needing any words to show his disapproval. Dan had tutted, but changed it to an old Radiohead album that they both liked, and Phil nodded minutely in acceptance. Dan leaned his head against the window and let his thoughts wonder.

It had been a long few days, a long few months really, but the last few days especially. He was coming out of an episode, and it always left him feeling just a bit off, like eating something bitter and having the aftertaste in your mouth for days after. His energy levels hadn’t returned yet, and he was still a bit moody, but being on tour didn’t give him the option to take the time he wanted to just recover from it; to hide away for a day or two and sleep. He had shows and meet and greets, and when they didn’t have those, they were traveling or trying to get sightseeing in. 

Dan logically knew that he could always tell Phil that he wasn’t up to doing something at any given time, and Phil would just lay with him in their bunk or on the couch and pet his hair while he rested, or leave him be if that's what he wanted, but the thought of Phil having to miss out on their limited experiences here because of him made guilt burn deep in his belly. He would push himself to get out of his bunk and look at trinkets all day, as long as he got to do it with Phil and see that goofy smile on his face.

Phil seemed to sense that he was thinking a little too hard and reached over to place his hand on Dan’s thigh, just a gentle reassuring touch, making Dan’s throat burn a little with emotion. He threaded his fingers with Phil’s and continued to look out the window, not trusting himself to make eye contact right now; he didn’t want to ruin their road trip with tears.

When a sign appeared in front of them that read: “Grand Canyon 20 miles ahead!” Dan could hear Phil curse under his breath, making an unexpected giggle burst from his lips.

“Did you really not expect them to have road signs for one of the biggest geological attractions in America?” Dan asked, a little breathless from laughter.

Phil scowled. “I just forgot about them, okay? But that’s the surprise: we’re going to the Grand Canyon!”

“Phil, we’ve been to the Grand Canyon, you spoon.”

“Yeah, with a whole crew of people, in the middle of the day.”

For the first time in a while, Dan took notice of the sky. It was nearing sunset, and he was willing to bet that by the time they arrived, the sun would be setting over the Grand Canyon. He felt the tears well up again and didn’t bother trying to keep them from Phil this time. He squeezed Phil’s hand and brought it to his lips, giving it a small kiss, and Phil smiled gently at him before quickly returning his eyes to the road. Dan’s heart thudded warm and heavy in his chest, so full of love it felt like it might burst. 

They pulled into the park and got their tickets just in time, walking down a short path and sitting on a rock barely wide enough to fit them both to watch the sun set. Dan had seen a lot of beautiful things in his life, but they were temporarily washed away by what was in front of him. It wasn’t even the sunset or the Grand Canyon, both of which were stunning together and on their own, but rather what they represented: a spontaneous and romantic idea by the man he loved, a bit of time together, just the two of them, when that had been so rare lately. 

He glanced over and Phil was looking at him, making that warm feeling return to his chest. He reached over and threaded their fingers together, scooting closer so they were pressed together on their rock. It was a risk, they both knew that, but Dan couldn’t really bring himself to care. They had been censoring themselves for so long, and he just couldn’t today. He wanted to enjoy this moment, and the person he loved, without any barriers and any pretense. He felt Phil lean in close to him and rest his head on Dan’s shoulder, and smiled. The sunset wasn’t long, but they sat there for a few extra minutes and enjoyed being close to each other in this new brave way for a little while longer.

They used the lights on their phones to make their way back up the path, and Phil led them to a small cabin at the other end of the park, secluded away from the rest of the park and all theirs for the night, according to the keys in Phil’s hands. It was their first real taste of privacy since they left home. They didn’t have to worry about someone on the other side of a hotel wall hearing them, or others on the bus, so that night when they got under the covers and Phil pressed into him, Dan moaned and yelled at the top of his lungs, letting out as much noise as he could as Phil’s lips pressed to his ear, telling him how beautiful he was and how he loved his noises, just spurring him on. It was cathartic and exhilarating, and when they were finished and laid tangled together, Dan felt calmer than he had in months.

Phil pressed kisses to his face early the next morning, whispering to him quietly that they had to get up and hurry back so they could make it back to the bus. Dan groaned a little, but got up without too much fuss, and they packed their bags and loaded into the car. Phil drove 20 miles out of their way to find a Starbucks and Dan teased him mercilessly, but still got a drink of his own, since it wasn’t _his_ caffeine addiction that was being discussed. They merged onto the freeway, quiet instrumental music playing on the sound system and their coffees in hand.

Dan knew this trip hadn’t really fixed anything. He could still feel the lingering bits of fog in his mind, but they also felt easier to ignore today. Knowing he had someone who still wanted to be there with him on his bad days, when he was moody and sullen, made things easier. Knowing that that person would plan something for them, just so he could get out of his mind a little bit because he knew he was having a bad day, made things a little less miserable. There were always going to be bad days, and there was always going to be stress, but if he knew anything, he knew there was always going to be Phil, too, and that made those bad days easier to bare.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: @tobieallison  
> pillowfort: t_hens
> 
> :)


End file.
